Top 10 Albums of 2009 Pt.1

There’s no way I was going to miss out compiling a list of my favourite releases this year, partly because there’s been some deliriously good albums but mainly because I can’t resist a good list.

To make it as exciting as a Nancy Drew novel, I’m going to drag it out a bit. So below is my countdown from 10-6, check back tomorrow for 5-2 and then on Friday, I’ll post my number 1.

10. Florence +the Machine: Lungs

Purely based on rotation, this album has to make it into my top 10. For at least a month I caught Florence fever and couldn’t bring myself to press the eject button. But as addicted as I was to ‘My Boy Builds Coffins’ and ‘Blinding’, I won’t stand for the Kate Bush comparisons though. This is no Hounds Of Love, Aerial or even The Red Shoes for that matter. You can make as many whimsical videos set in a forest as you like Florence…

9. Man Like Me – Man Like Me

This one’s for the summer when my ‘working from home’ routine included sitting on the balcony with my flatmates listening to happy tunes. There’s been a lot of major albums this year but boy, what a moody bunch – sometimes you just need some mighty dancefloor fillers. Admittedly, it completely appeals to my dormant since 2002 UK garage girl-isms but my Dad liked it too and he never made it to Ayia Napa.

8. Wild Beast – Two Dancers

Hayden Thorpe’s voice is so full of pomp and circumstance, you either love it or you hate it. I reviewed it for Bearded back in July but it’s one of those reviews that falls under the ‘too embarrassed to republish’ category that defines this blog. I did say this about it though: ‘it’s a record that’s theatrical and bold, lyrically rhythmic and filled with imagination’ and I still stick by that. Oh and there was a really bad pun on the word ‘symbolic’ that I’m still sticking by as well.

7. Little Claw – Human Taste

So I was gonna give this spot to Glass Rock but, and this is probably the lamest reason for skipping it, the review I did is only two doors down on this blog and mentioning it again would just be overkill. But in it’s honor I’ve chosen another Ecstatic Peace! release that I’ve been just as enamored with. There have been lo-fi albums galore this year and I feel like no 2009 countdown should get by without one. This offering to the gods of bedroom dirge was mightily overlooked probably because everyone was paying way to much attention to Wavves.

6. Fever Ray – Fever Ray

The UK dominates my top 10 this year but Sweden has tied with America for second place, with both countries scoring two albums each. Karin Dreijer Andersson’s solo outing is gloom in perfection. And it has to be said that visually, the Fever Ray aesthetic is stunning – the artwork, videos, Karin’s promo shots – it’s all incredible.